Pep Guardiola’s rapier attack ripped Stoke apart in 90 minutes at the Etihad Stadium last week but the Cherries dismantled the Potters twice in the space of barely two minutes to leave Mark Hughes’ side sliding into the bottom three.
You can measure the power of the south coast side by their record this season, they had scored only once in their previous four away matches.
But Andrew Surman and Junior Stanislas had all but put this game to bed within the opening 17 minutes for only their second win since May.
City had no one to blame but themselves.
No one covered full-back Adam Smith’s run in behind and he was able to look up and feed Stanislas, who was unmarked in the box.
The midfielder, who missed the first six matches through injury, had enough time to stroke the ball back into Surman’s path and he spotted the gap inside Jack Butland’s right-hand post to give his team the lead.
Then as the Potters wasted their kick-off Benik Afobe, only in the line-up because Josh King and Jermain Defoe were ruled out through illness and a strain, bulldozed his way into the box.
Skipper Ryan Shawcross got his feet into an almighty tangle and brought down the third-choice striker and Stanislas thumped the spot-kick past Butland.
Only Jordon Ibe’s selfishness denied Howe the easiest half-time talk of the season as he attempted to beat Butland when Afobe was totally unmarked with an empty net in front of him.
Stoke did show far more spirit and adventure after the break.
And when Mame Biram Diouf claimed his third goal in as many starts there was a glimmer of hope.
It was not a picture-book finish from the Senegal star and one-time Manchester United striker as it bounced off his knee via a long punt and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s lucky lay-off – but they all count.
